mercedespony

Hello all. Last night after 2 bottles of Chianti, husband and I booked flights to Rome, arriving May 2nd, departing May 19th. We have no interest in staying in Rome, so will be renting a car and heading out asap.

Our original thoughts are to head up to the Lucca area, and stay in that area for 6 or 7 days, do day tours of Pisa, Florence, San Gimignano, etc. 2 or 3 days in the Chianti region would be ideal. After that, husband wants to head to San Marino. (myself I wonder why... ).. I think I'd rather head back down the easterly side, through Pescara, and back inland towards Rome to prepare for our departure.

The villas/apartments I can find on the net seem to only rent on a weekly basis, and I'd rather not be tied down to a room. Would prefer to book a 3 or 4 night stay in advance, throughout the holiday.

So questions are:

1. Recommendations for a friendly, comfortable villa/apartment that sleeps 2, with full cooking facilities, and that rents out on a 3 or 4 night basis; We will eat out occasionally, but frankly I love to cook and can't wait to hit a market and cook our own dinners (with much of the aforementioned Chianti in hand); Price range 60-100 euro/night; (and looking for that *tuscany* feel -- i.e. remote villa, brick walls, fireplace, olive garden in the back yard, cellar in the basement helps!)

We pretty much don't want to stay too long overnight in a town, unless it is a small town.

2. Recommendations for our last week or so, coming out of the Tuscany region heading back to Rome -- what are we missing? Is San Marino somewhere I should be? I'd like to stay on the east coast, I think.

3. Car rentals - on the net, the most conservative car appears to be the 2 door, hatchback. We will have no luggage, we are backpacking, so for room in the car, we are good -- but would you recommend upgrading to a larger car and if so, for what reason? .. I just have this crazy fear of driving in a small car and getting nailed by a SUV. *smuck*. Would never drive one here. (the small car or the SUV).

We are pretty easy travellers.. Will be staying away from most of the major touristy spots, eating in local piazzas, packing bread/cheeses for our day out and cooking ourselves at night.

Ok. I realize I just wrote a novel. And for those of you who have stayed long enough to read this, and actually respond, many thanks in advance and I'll buy you a drink when we get there.

francophile03

I'm not sure why you booked your flights to and from Rome if you don't want to visit.

Perhaps you should stay in Florence as you say you don't want to stay in a small town. Lucca is smaller than Florence as far as I understand.

Not sure if you will get for your budget a villa for two people and an apartment like you say may not be available for just a few nights only. Maybe you should consider staying in a hotel instead. Eating out in Italy is a pleasure so why cook?

eri

I can recommend a nice place to stay in Tuscany. It is a farmhouse, rooms are nicely firnished but simple, rustic feeling with facilities in the room (The farm and is located in a magnificent setting on a hill just across from San Gimignano. The name of the farm is Poggiacolle. I think they charge 70-80 Euros per night. We love it. This is their site:
http://www.poggiacolle.com/farmhouse-tuscany.html

Mario06

Here is suggestion,

These apartments you can rent daily:

http://www.tuscanweb.com/property/?ID=4154

Here you can use kitchen:

http://www.tuscanweb.com/property/?ID=4204

Hope it helps.

bobthenavigator

I suggest you spend time at slowtrav.com and look at their Tuscany info. You have a ton of good choices to pick from and the more you read the better decisions you will make. I find the Val d' Orcia region to be the best of Tuscany. You have a good start--May is perfect and you have ample time.

Dayle

Mercedes,

Driving a small car in the Tuscan countryside is preferable. Very few people drive SUVs in Italy. Gas is too expensive (even diesel), and roads are narrow and parking difficult. Don't get a larger car.

Backpacks can be just as large as a small suitcase, so be sure you have a car that will fit 2 in a covered area.

Don't miss Roma! On my first trip to Italy, we didn't plan more than 1 1/2 days there because I had always heard that Rome was just a crowded, polluted, dirty city with lots of traffic. SURPRISE! I loved, loved, loved Rome and couldn't wait to go back. On my last trip I was able to spend another 6 days there and have decided I could easily live there for a couple years. Love Roma!

nessundorma

I'm puzzled: San Marino is very close to the east coast of Italy. It's a short drive inland. You say you'd rather "stay on the east coast." Do you mean west coast?

Going to San Marino makes for some very ambitious driving, given that you are starting in Rome and need to return to Rome. But you'd probably find it very intereting to see Urbino, and take in San Leo on your way to San Marino, then come down the coast and cut back in west at the point where you could see Ascoli Piceno and the Piano Grande in southern Le Marche. From there you can head back to Rome, stopping in Orvieto to drop off your rental car.

Many people do not find the Adriatic coast of Italy very appealing, so I wouldn't plan to spend a lot of time there.

For Northern Le Marche and San Marino, check out Hotel Nene and Locanda della Valle Nuova. For the south, check out Pallazzo Guiderrochi in Ascoli Piceno. All great places although I'm not sure how many offer kitchens. But you can find such places in Le Marche with Google searches.

nessundorma

PS: I meant to add that you can do that itinerary backward, which is to say go from Rome to Umbria, then into southern Le Marche, then up the coast to San Marino, then cut across to Northern Tuscany, and then down to southern Tuscany and Rome.

mercedespony

hmm that's interesting ness, we hadn't really thought of doing the travelling backwards, but now that I am looking at the map, I think I like that concept.

I'm heading over to slowtrav now to snoop around, thank you for all of your suggestions..

I've spent most of the weekend searching for villas. came up with La Valle dell'Olmo Scuro, it looks sort of like what we are aiming for.. and might work well on the drive up.. is the Pesaro area somewhere where we could spend 3 or 4 days, before driving over to the Lucca area?

nessundorma

Maps are great things, no?

The area around Pesaro is definitely a place where you could spend 3 days, if not an entire week. I would say the highlights are Urbino, San Leo, Sant'Agata in Vado and other small hill towns. Although I've never been, some people enjoy Rimini, birthplace of Federico Fellini (they named the airport after him).

One thing I would suggest is that you do a google search for the "hills towns Montefeltro." Many people talk about Italy's "best kept secrets" but this is the one place I think really does qualify.

Also, if your husband doesn't know already, my understanding is that San Marino is quite touristy, i.e. filled with tour buses. The gimmick is going to such a tiny "country." I haven't been myself, so I don't know.

If you can at all include the Piano Grande on your May trip, it's a spectacular site. You can do google searches for photos.

You can get a lot of information from posters on the Slow Travel website, but be aware they may frown on the speed with which you are traveling.

Buon Viaggio!

nessundorma

La Valle dell'Olmo Scuro is really lovely looking! The kitchens are great.

In that area, it is very worthwhile to drive to the Gola di Furlo, a local natural wonder.

ngarona

Rent a small car. Roads are narrow, parking is difficult and gas costs a LOT. Hardly anyone has an SUV (that I noted).
Suggest that you do not overlook Siena. It is fabulous. San Gimignano was so full of tourists (in the fall, off season) that you could barely walk down the streets.
You might also think about visiting western Tuscany, the Maramma. Charming small towns and not yet discovered by tourists. Montiano, Magliano in Toscana, Scansano, etc.

DebitNM

book mark for later use.

LucieV

I'd seriously consider skipping San Marino. It felt somehow kind of bogus to me...I would definitely not return, I can assure you that! Italy is so loaded with possibilities, SM is kind of a waste of time, imho.

Vecchia

Hi Mercedespony,
Just north of Lucca are two regions not to be missed.The Garfagnana and Lunigiana.Chiantishere is great but north Tuscany even better. See ideas at
http://www.underthetuscansun.co.uk/p...f_interest.htm
Have a great time.

mercedespony

I'm still rather in disbelief that after only 2 bottles of wine and never speaking of Italy before, we booked a trip.. but I'm working through that disbelief and forging ahead.

Thanks to all of your feedback, dh has knocked San Marino and the Adriatic coast off of the roster.

I think we are also now planning on spending the last 2 days in Rome, on our way out (thanks Dayle!)

We are slowly narrowing it down, thanks to your advice and my now blurry eyed reading over at slowtrav, but I have decided we are not in that big of a hurry and I can spend the next 6 to 10 weeks actually planning an itinerary.. an itinerary, one that for the most part (I hope), doesn't require too much planning once we get there.. I hate going on a holiday and feeling like I am rushing.. so every 3rd day I'm hoping to squeeze in a day to take out of the time-line just to knacker off, relax, eat the great food, enjoy the wine, the views, and maybe revisit. Or not.

anyway, this was just to be a quick note to say that in the only 4 days I have been on this site, I'd like to thank the vets for taking the time to reply and advise. (dh can't believe you do this).

I'll be back later I'm sure with more questions, once my eyes have refocused.

LucieV

One thing I can guarantee you, mercedespony: you will never, <i>ever</i> regret those 2 bottles of wine. You are about to have yourself one wunnerful trip!

vicodarbia

Hi, Tuscany if for sure an unmissable spot!!! If you are looking for a charming newly restored flat, easy cheap and chic just off Siena in the southern region of Chianti contact:

[email protected]

They own many holiday properties for every needs